Buddha's Birthday and Korea 2011

By Don Southerton, Editor

Lotus Blossom Lanterns Adorn Downtown Seoul

This year Buddha’s birth will be celebrated across Asia on May 10, the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.

On Tuesday, Korea will observe Buddha's Birthday as a national holiday. Followers of Buddhism head to temples for special services, while non-believers and their families often visit the temples and join in on the celebration. Many temples are located in scenic mountain areas.

For Koreans, a popular feature of the holiday is the Lotus Lantern Festival, which offers a range of activities, including a parade of colorful paper lanterns.

In Asia, lotus blossoms are often associated with Buddha.

Buddhism, once the dominant religion in Korea, has about 18 million followers in Korea. Surveys indicate that over one third of South Korea’s population is Buddhist and slightly less is Christian. Regardless of a Korean’s individual religious belief, Buddhist influence has had a strong impact culturally on the East Asian peninsula—most obvious architecturally in the pagoda design.

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DS